Sticky rice in bamboo is a common
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
n dish consisting of
sticky rice roasted inside specially prepared
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
sections of different diameters and lengths. It is consumed both as a
savory
Savory or Savoury may refer to:
Common usage
* Herbs of the genus ''Satureja'', particularly:
** Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis''), an annual herb, used to flavor food
** Winter savory (''Satureja montana''), a perennial herb, also used to ...
food and as a
sweet
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...
dessert.
Names
The dish is known by various names throughout Southeast Asia, including ''paung din'' (ပေါင်းတင်း) or ''kauk hnyin kyi dauk'' () in
Burmese, ''kralan'' () in
Khmer, and ''khao lam'' (, ; ) in
Lao and
Thai and ''cơm lam'' in
Vietnamese. In Lao and Thai, ''khao'' means rice and ''lam'' means the cooking process, which involves roasting the contents in prepared bamboo sections, while in Vietnamese ''cơm lam'' translates as "bamboo cooked rice".
In Malaysia and Indonesia, it known as''
lemang'', which is typically eaten during
Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, where it can be eaten with ''rendang''.
Variations
Cambodia
In
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
, sticky rice in bamboo is called ''kralan'' (). It is made by roasting a mixture of glutinous rice,
black-eyed pea
The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea.
The common commer ...
s or
beans
A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes thr ...
, coconut milk, grated coconut and palm sugar in
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
tubes over a fire
for around 90 minutes. ''Kralan'' is often eaten at
Chinese and
Khmer New Year. According to archeological evidence, rice has been cooked in bamboo already by the Mon Khmer tribes and in
Khmer Empire ''kralan'' was used as
military rations, which has led historian Dr. Michel Tranet to conclude that the method of roasting sticky rice in bamboo tubes originated in Cambodia.
Thma Krae village in
Kratie Province and Samrong Khnong village in
Battambang Province have become well known for their sticky rice in bamboo.
During harvest season,
Cambodian Buddhists in the region of
Angkor
Angkor ( km, អង្គរ , 'Capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura ( km, យសោធរបុរៈ; sa, यशोधरपुर),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-Engl ...
celebrate at particular nocturn rite during which local peasants lay down next to each other in what is called a ''plang kralan'' as sticky rice bamboo being grilled to form a human bridge on which the Buddhist monks walk in order to obtain merits and hope of an abundant harvest.
Laos
Sticky rice is ingrained in the national culinary heritage and figures in religious traditions of the Lao people. Since ancient time Lao people used sticky rice to prepare Khao Lam for both feasting and offering to monks. Today, Lao Khao Lam may be made with white or purple (Khao Kum) sticky rice mixed with coconut cream, beans, small pieces of taro or sweet potato. It can be consumed as a sweet or a festival and celebration food that is frequently served with Ping Kai, also known as
Kai yang
Kai yang or gai yang ( th, ไก่ย่าง, , literally meaning "grilled chicken"), also known as kai ping or gai ping ( th, ไก่ปิ้ง), or pīng kai ( lo, ປີ້ງໄກ່, ), is a dish originating from the Lao people of ...
(a popular Lao grilled chicken). Khao lam and Ping Kai are so popular they are sold on roadsides in Laos.
Myanmar (Burma)
''Paung din'' () or ''kaukhnyin kyidauk'' () is another ready-to-eat portable form cooked in a segment of bamboo. When the bamboo is peeled off, a thin skin remains around the rice, and it also gives off a distinctive aroma.
Thailand
''Khao lam'' uses
sticky rice with
red bean
Red bean is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* Adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis''), commonly used in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, particularly as red bean paste
Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki ...
s, sugar, grated
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...
, and
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ...
. It can be prepared with white or
dark purple (''khao niao dam'') varieties of glutinous rice. Sometimes described as a "cake", thick ''khao lam'' containers may have a filling of
coconut custard
Coconut jam, also known as kaya jam or simply kaya, is a sweet spread made from a base of coconut milk, eggs and sugar. It is popular throughout Southeast Asia.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore
The word for coconut jam in the Malay languag ...
in the center that is made from coconut cream, egg, and sugar. ''Khao lam'' can be consumed as savory food or dessert. It is a cultural food and is an
OTOP product. Moreover, Thai people present ''khao lam'' to
monks
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
to make
merit. Further, it is gradually becoming a Thai tradition.
In the past, Thailand had innumerable bamboo trees. Thai people thought about the utility of using bamboo for cooking purposes. The ingredients of ''khao lam'' are glutinous rice, black beans, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Moreover, taro or young coconut may be added.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, it is called ''cơm lam'' and found in the Northwest Mountainous Area. It originated when
mountain people
Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains.
This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation.
The climate is generally harsh, with s ...
, such as the
Tai peoples
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, a ...
, would prepare for long journeys by pressing wet rice (''cơm'') with added salt, into bamboo tubes, and cooking. ''Cơm lam'' is also served in
Central Highlands food stalls with chicken.
[ Vietweek, Thanh Nien News, Vietnam Youth Associatio]
Delicacy made in a bamboo stem - Visit the Central Highlands to discover spectacular sceneries and eat and drink like a mountain dweller
June 8, 2012 print issue, June 16, 2012 web edition. "Anyone visiting the Central Highlands should try ''cơm lam'' (rice cooked in bamboo stems) and grilled chicken. It is a fascinating experience to eat the rice and chicken by dipping it in sesame and salt and drink ''rượu cần'' (a beer-like drink sipped through a long bamboo pipe from a jar) like the mountain people do. ''Cơm lam'' has its origins in the mountainous lifestyle when tribesmen made long journeys through the forest to work on mountain fields."
See also
* ''
Daetong-bap
Daetong-bap ( ko, 대통밥) is a native food of Damyang province in Jeollanam-do and is also called Juktong-bop ( ko, 죽통밥). Damyang has the largest number of bamboos in Korea because soil and climate are suitable for growing bamboo. The bamb ...
* ''
Lemang
References
External links
Pictures of kralan being madeក្រឡាន Kralan Chef Nak. 7 July 2022.
{{Portal bar, Food, Asia
Glutinous rice dishes
Burmese cuisine
Cambodian cuisine
Chinese New Year foods
Lao cuisine
Thai cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine
Foods containing coconut